Process for treating petroleum oil



April 28, i925.

G. EGLOFF ET AL PRocEss FOR TREATING PETROLEUM on.

Filed Sept.V 18, 1920 I' Il Patented pr. 28, 1925.

GUSTAV EGLOFF AND HARRY P. ENNER, OF INDEPENDENCE, KANSAS, ASSIGNORS TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F SOUTH DAKOTA.

Application led September 18, 1920. Serial No. 411,339.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, GUs'rAv EGLoFF and HARRY P. BENNER, both citizens of the United States, residing in the town of Independence, county of Montgomery, and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Treating Petroleum Oil, of which the4 following is a specication. This invention relates to improvements in process of treating emulsified oil and refers more particularly to a process for dehydrating and cracking emulsiied petroleum oil.

The object of the invention is to, as part of a continuous process, first dehydrate the emulsied oil by subjecting it to freezing temperature and then distilling the oil under pressure so as to convert a substantial portion of the heavier hydrocarbons into lighter hydrocarbons such as gasoline, kerosene or the like.

The single figure of the drawing shows a view,A partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, oi our apparatus for carrying out the process. Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 designates the furnace provided with burner 2, stack 3, grate 4. bridge wall 5. In the furnace is mounted a still 6, which may be of cylindrical or shell type. This still 6 is provided with charging line 7, controlled by valve 8, and leading to a suitable supply pump (not shown) and connected to a suitable source of supply. The still is provided with a liquid drawoif line 9, controlled by throttle valve 10. The oil vapors may pass out of the still through the pipe 11 having throttle valve 12, which pipe 11 extends as shown in dotted lines into the lower part of 4:0l a dephlegmator 13. The upper end of the ipe 1lV is provided with a spaced ca'p memer 14 to prevent the reux condensate from falling back into the pipe 11. The dephlegmator is provided with baes 15 and at its upper end is connected to vapor line 16, by throttle 17, leading to condenser coil 18 seated in water condenser box 119. The lower end of the coil 18 leads to the upper part of receiver 20. A throttle valve 21 may, 5 if desired, be interposed inthe connecting pipe 22. The receiver 20 is provided with pressure gauge 23 and liquid level gauge 24.

It also has liquid drawoff pipe 25 controlled by throttle valve 26 and a gas outlet pipe 27, controlled by Valve 28.

Reflux condensate may be continuously returned to the still through vthe line 29 leading to the charging line 7 and provided with throttle valve 30. If a differential pressure is maintained on the system so that there is a higher pressure on the still than on the dephlegmator, it may be necessary to interpose a pump in the line 29 to overcome the difference in pressure, in order to effectively return the reflux condensate tothe still.

Describing the manner of subjecting the oil to freezing temperature. the still is equipped with a closed brine coil 31, connected by pipes 32 and 33 to an ammonia refrigerator 34. This brine coil 31, as will be seen, is placed within the still. In the line 33 is interposed a pump 35; valves 36, 37 and 38 are also provided. The pipes 32 and 33.have respectively branch pipes 39 and 40 provided with the throttle valves 41 and 42. The arrangement is such that the refrigerator tank may be cut out of the system and a fluid, whether liquid or' gas, of a different temperature than the brine, run through the coil 31.

The process may be operated as follows:

Starting with a heavy emulsified Mexican or California crude petroleum, it may first be charged into the still, and then while the still is cold, subjected to a freezing temper ature, asfor example. below 32 degs. F. and

even down to zero and lower. This will precipitate out the water or in other words, break the emulsion. The oil and water will stratify by gravity and thel water may then be drawn olf. The burner 2 may then be started and the oil heated to a temperature of 750 degs..F. and maintained under a pressure of say, 150 pounds from the still to thereceiver. A substantial percentage of the oil may thus be cracked into gasoline or other light hydrocarbons. The reflux condensate may be 'constantly returned to the still for further treatment.

As a modified method of carrying out our process, a di'erential pressure may be maintained on the system, as for example, 150 pounds on the still, 100 pounds on the dephlegmator, 75 pounds on the condenser coil and 50 poundson the receiver. This can be laccomplished by suitably regulating the valves shown.

As a still further modification of the process, after the oil has been dehydrated, and the water removed, heated gas or superheated steam may be run through the coil 31 by suitably connecting the pipes 39 and. 40 to v a steam or gas supply. In this Way, the

vapors, if desired may be superheated. In such cases, it ma be desirable to carry the coil 31 up into t e vapor space of the still in an obvious manner.

We claim as our invention:

A process of dehydrating and subsequently cracldng hydrocarbon oil consisting in introducing a supply of emulsied 011 to al still, in subjecting the emulsified oil to a temperature in the still below the freezing point of water by assing a freezing agent through a closed e011 located in the still and therebycausing the water and the oil to stratify, in withdrawing water from the oil and in applying heat to the oil by passing a heated gas throughsaid closed coil while maintaining the oil under a su eratmospheric vapor pressure to crack t e 011 1n GUSTAV EGLOFF. HARRY P. BENNER.

said still, 

